Flint
Wikipedia: Flint is a hard,
sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the
mineral quartz,categorized as a variety of
chert. It occurs chiefly as
nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as
chalks and
limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and often has a glassy or waxy appearance. A thin layer on the outside of the nodules is usually different in colour, typically white and rough in texture. From a
petrological point of view, "flint" refers specifically to the form of
chert which occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Similarly, "common chert" (sometimes referred to simply as "chert") occurs in limestone.
Merriam-Webster: a massive hard dark quartz that produces a spark when struck by steel
Steel
Wikipedia: Steel is an
alloy of
iron and other elements, including
carbon. When carbon is the primary alloying element, its content in the steel is between 0.002% and 2.1% by weight. The following elements are always present in steel: carbon,
manganese,
phosphorus,
sulfur,
silicon, and traces of
oxygen,
nitrogen and
aluminum. Alloying elements intentionally added to modify the characteristics of steel include: manganese,
nickel,
chromium,
molybdenum,
boron,
titanium,
vanadium and
niobium.
[1]
Carbon and other elements act as a hardening agent, preventing
dislocations in the iron atom
crystal lattice from sliding past one another. Varying the amount of alloying elements and the form of their presence in the steel (solute elements, precipitated phase) controls qualities such as the
hardness,
ductility, and
tensile strength of the resulting steel. Steel with increased carbon content can be made harder and stronger than iron, but such steel is also less
ductile than iron.
Alloys with a higher than 2.1% carbon (depending on other element content and possibly on processing) are known as
cast iron. Because they are not malleable even when hot, they can be worked only by
casting, and they have lower
melting point and good
castability.
[1] Steel is also distinguishable from
wrought iron, which can contain a small amount of carbon, but it is included in the form of
slag inclusions.
[citation needed]
Though steel had been produced in a blacksmith's forge for thousands of years, its use became more extensive after more efficient production methods were devised in the 17th century. With the invention of the
Bessemer process in the mid-19th century, steel became an inexpensive
mass-produced material. Further refinements in the process, such as
basic oxygen steelmaking (BOS), lowered the cost of production while increasing the quality of the metal. Today, steel is one of the most common materials in the world, with more than 1.3 billion tons produced annually. It is a major component in buildings, infrastructure, tools, ships,
automobiles, machines, appliances, and weapons. Modern steel is generally identified by various grades defined by assorted
standards organizations.
Merriam-Webster: commercial iron that contains carbon in any amount up to about 1.7 percent as an essential alloying constituent, is malleable when under suitable conditions, and is distinguished from cast iron by its malleability and lower carbon content.
A
fire striker or
fire steel is a piece of high carbon or alloyed steel from which sparks are struck by the sharp edge of
chert or similar rock. Modern fire strikers, commonly called artificial "flints" consist of
ferrocerium alloys.
Flint & Steel:
When struck against
steel, a flint edge will produce sparks.
I'm the flint. When struck by my Higher Power, I produce sparks...which can start a fire. Desire, passion, light,thunder.
